big brother

noun

1

: an older brother

2

: a man who serves as a companion, father figure, and role model for a boy

3

Big Brother [Big Brother, personification of the power of the state in 1984 (1949) by George Orwell]

a

: the leader of an authoritarian state or movement

b

: an all-powerful government or organization monitoring and directing people's actions

Examples of big brother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cooper’s big brother yelled excitedly when first responders arrived at the Vetta Sports Soccerdome in Webster Groves. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026

Hughes appeared on the late night show with big brother and Olympic teammate Quinn and women’s team captain Hilary Knight. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026

Before Tuesday afternoon, how many times had big brother watched little brother pitch in the pro game? —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026

That’s a busy household for him, and Nicole and the sweet images capture the bonds that are already forming between big brothers and little. —Sarah Scott, Parents, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for big brother

• another
• godmother
• grandmother
• stepbrother
• stepmother
• mother
• nother
• other
• smother
• souther